Oak Sticks, Oak Cubes, Oak Chips

The oak staves will change not only the colour but also the flavour.

The way that it changes it depends on how the oak is treated and toasted.

All our staves, sticks, chips, cubes are made from first grade oak especially selected for our barrels.

The wood we use is carefully selected and properly proceed.

RealOakBarrels works with selected timber from South Balkans where the soil is moist. Moisture of the soil determines the speed of growth of the tree and hence its structure. This is very important factor for the characteristic of the oak

The oak grows there is known as Quercus petraea – White European Oak also known as French Oak

This kind of oak is growing slowly which is the reason for its finest structure.

This affects the content of tannin and vanillin and imparting them during the process of wine maturing in the barrels. In terms of spices, age and height of the tree are also very important.

Natural dehydration is one of the most important stage defying the timber quality. It completely changes the chemical and physical properties of the wooden staves. When the staves are raw, they are extremely rich with tannins and flavours. After the Natural dehydration the future staves are purged of undesirable fragrance and harsher tannins and the flavour of the barrel reaches maturity and softness.

The Natural dehydration is a long period – 26-36 months

- Dark European Oak

Especially selected from various parts of the trees where the timber is darker in colour with higher contents of tannins and has proven to produce more colour and less vanilla taste. We have found that the dark oak If not toasted is really useful when we don't want to change the taste of a certain drink but only the colour.

Toasting Methods:

Open Fire Toasting method:

The same we toast our barrels:

Levels of Toasting:

Light Toast - coconut and fruit flavour. Mostly used for white wines.

Medium Toast has fewer tannins but more bouquet so will impart more aroma than flavour.

It has a warm, sweet character with strong vanilla overtones. Suitable for red wines.

Medium Plus Toast is between Medium and Heavy Toast.

It has aromas of honey, roasted nuts and a hint of coffee and spices. It seems to be the ideal toast level for red wines and spirits (rum, liquors, brandy…)

Heavy Toast    brings pronounced caramelised, carbonised and toast flavours very quickly - it doesn't need much contact time.

 It is most often used in big, bold red wines and all spirits (whiskey, bourbons, rums…)

Charred Staves – raw charred, burnt on open fire.

Charring helps to further break down the structure of the oak allowing easier, and deeper, penetration by the spirit, and a more intense interaction with the flavours produced through lignin degradation. The cracks produced in the surface also increase the surface area available to the spirit.

The charcoal layer which has been created also acts as a filtration system, helping to remove unwanted flavours, such as sulphur, from the new spirit. Charring also increases the levels of vanillin, cacao-like flavours and spiciness. On the other hand, the heavier the char the lower the levels of tannin and oak lactones.

Oak Cubes and Oak Chips

Oak cubes and oak chips allow home-brewers to impart terrific flavours and aroma to wines, beers, ciders… aged in glass carboys, plastic buckets, or steel tanks. They can be used in wooden barrels as well to speeding up the ageing process.

Oak Sticks approximately dimensions:

1cm x 1cm x 15cm

Suitable for bottles and demijohns

Oak Cubes approximate dimensions 1cm x 1cm

Suitable for bottles and demijohns, oak barrels

Oak Chips approximate dimensions 2cm x 2cm  

Suitable for jars or containers with wide opening.

Here I will try to give an answer to the most common questions that we receive and give you courage in your future experimentation.

 All you need is clear glass bottles or jars, wooden sticks, cubes or chips from timber proven to be suitable for ageing alcohol and very important not contaminated in any way, and of course the alcoholic drink that you wish to age, improve and develop. 

Using oak sticks, cubes or chips is the best way to experiment and find out which level of toasting and what kind of wood will be more suitable for the drinks you are creating.

 This method is very suitable for people making small quantities of alcohol and still would be able to experiment – and yet not be limited by the small amount they have.

 The ageing wooden sticks cubes and chips are suitable for all different kinds and varieties of alcoholic drinks that are usually being aged and kept in wooden barrels.

 Brandy, whiskey, bourbon, wine, schnapps, gin, Sambuca, beers and ales, cognacs …etc.

 As many of you know every single brew of alcohol is different and unique, so experimenting is the clue to success.

 If you are not too sure what kind of barrel to use and you are nervous and full of questions nobody can give you the answers you seek in full. It is you that have to get out there and find out for yourself.

 Every drop of alcohol differs and unique!

 Everybody has different taste and expectations of the desired results.

All that I can say as an experienced hobby distiller and a professional cooper is that experimenting gives you confidence and leads to better results.